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Congratulations. You have just adopted an abandoned puppy. As he has probably spent all his life outdoors, he is not trained in the basic house rules. It seems that his favourite pastime is to “water” every corner of the house. Do not despair. A little bit of patience and you will get the point across.
An owner who has never trained a puppy may think that it is an easy task or that the puppy does not need any training. Nothing could be more wrong. Housebreaking a puppy takes time, patience and dedication, especially if it is a rescue dog simply - because he hasn't been trained properly in their previous home or has never lived in a house before.
What happens when you take your dog to go to the toilet outdoors? A dog that is not properly housebroken may just pee a little here and there and will empty his bowels once brought inside. Why do they behaviour in this way? It is not advisable to return home as soon as your dog has defecated. If he enjoys walking outside (who does not?) he may relate returning home with a punishment. He will, therefore, delay the return by letting a few drops of urine here and there. To avoid this behaviour keep walking your dog for some time after he has met his bathroom needs. In this way the negative association of returning home with a punishment will cease.
Time and patience
Puppies are just like human babies. It takes a while for them to learn what they are supposed to do and not do. Although dogs are instinctively clean animals that would rather not soil themselves or their usual eating and sleeping areas, they cannot see the difference between peeing inside or outside the house. Try to see the situation from your dog’s point of view. Despite all their virtues, dogs cannot reason or understand exactly what their masters want.
Pay attention to your dog’s behaviour. If he starts going around in circles and sniffing the ground, this means he wants to go to the toilet. Interrupt the behaviour, for instance by clapping your hands, and take him outside immediately leading him to the spot where you want him to defecate. Praise him while he is doing it and afterwards. Make a big deal out of it. Dogs leave to please their masters and learn quickly when praised.
If your dog defecates at the wrong place (accidents happen) never scold him, just reprimand him with a harsh “no”, but only if you catch the animal doing it! Otherwise, he will not relate the punishment with the incorrect action and will be confused, unable to understand why you are angry. And never clean the mess in front of the dog; otherwise he will be led to understand that it is acceptable to defecate at that place. Clean the place carefully with vinegar when the animal is not present.
Above all never rub your dog’s face in the faeces or in the urine. After all you want to teach him to defecate in the right place and not that relieving himself is bad. This type of punishment, besides being cruel, only makes your dog fearful, sometimes turning housebreaking nearly impossible. A fearful dog will try to hide from you to make its necessities, looking for concealed places, and may even eat the faeces.
Remember, any training is more successful when the animal makes positive associations. So, the trick is praising, praising and praising. How long it will take you to housebreak your dog depends partly on your puppy's learning rate and maturity and above all on your dedication and on a consistent training method. It may take weeks but in the end it will be a rewarding experience. Training your dog is part of the marvellous experience of raising it and creates a strong bond between you and your animal, who will repay your efforts with extreme love and devotion.
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